This ‘Barrio’ Was Nothing Like Graceland

The Scene: Thursday night at the Atlas Bar & Grill, where El Vez, the L. A. club scene’s most renowned Mexican Elvis Presley impersonator, premiered his new video, “En el Barrio.� The evening also featured three sets by El Vez and his Memphis Mariachis, who performed salsa-flavored El Vez favorites like “You Ain’t Nothing but a Chihuahua� and “Maria’s the Name of His Latest Flame.�

The Buzz: Though he’s opened for musicians from Tito Puente to The Sugarcubes, El Vez (a.k.a. Robert Lopez) has yet to grab a major record deal. Now, though, he’s toured Europe. His new video has been played on MTV and other video shows, and a local news crew was on hand to broadcast live from the Atlas.

The Outfits: The self-proclaimed Aztec king of soul looked rico suave . He performed his first set in gold lame pants before switching into a heavy leather outfit that made him look like an extra from “Scorpio Rising.� The Memphis Mariachis wore East L. A. chic (Ray-Ban sunglasses, red bandannas, goatees), while the El Vettes (Priscillita and Que Linda Thompson) each wore two miniature sombreros as brassiere tops.

Who Was There: Artist and party girl Allee Willis; “En el Barrio� director Randall Michelson; teen heartthrob of yore Fabian, and quite a few members of the El Vez fan club. Atlas Bar & Grill owner Mario Tamayo was there, but he dashed next door to the Wiltern Theatre between El Vez sets to catch that night’s performance by Marky Mark.

For Sale: A cigarette girl with an enormous beehive hairdo worked the crowd selling El Vez T-shirts and photographs. It was a low-key scheme compared to the aggressive marketing at Graceland, where one can buy everything from Love Me Tender Shampoo to tiny vials of purportedly authentic Elvis sweat.

Quoted: What’s next for East L.A.’s favorite faux Elvis? He’s working with the producers of “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air� on his own sitcom. “It’ll be like the ‘Patty Duke Show,’ � he promised.

Triumphs: Said video director Michaelson, “El Vez is doing so well now that we want to use El Vez impersonators in our next video.�

Glitches: Predictably, the black-clad L. A. crowd was far too cool for its own good. One wished for a Graceland-type crowd to scream, swoon and throw hotel keys and undergarments at El Vez.